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Matthew Newton is a journalist whose writing has appeared in Spin, Good, Next American City, and Swindle, among other publications. He has reported on the decline of sampling in hip-hop; interviewed artists and musicians who survived Cambodia’s killing fields; and investigated the struggles of U.S. military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He has also appeared as a commentator on Austria’s FM4 radio and is editor of the nonfiction anthology Young & Reckless. He lives and works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The sights, sounds, and smells at a flea market are as much a part of the experience as sifting through the discarded possessions of strangers. Part of the appeal is the bizarre voyeurism it involves, gawking at things people once believed they needed but have since found no use for. And as any flea market veteran will attest, the experience is purest when the people you are buying from have just emptied their attic or garage, packed it into a car, and driven to a parking lot somewhere to sell it all. It’s a cleansing ritual — a hit-and-run way to quickly purge things that have outlived their usefulness.